Last December we reported on the formation of the Bordeaux Bombers - France's third club. Since then, 2008 has seen the creation of the Montpellier Fire Sharks on the Mediterranean coast and the rebirth of footy in northern Catalonia, with the creation of the Perpignan Tigers.

This month sees the French footballing fraternity welcome new clubs in the cities of Aix-en-Provence and Toulouse. The Aix Rascasses will be the first club in France's south-east, the name "Rascasse" translating as Scorpionfish in English - a venomous inhabitant of the waters around Marseille and the Côte d'Azur.

The Toulouse Crocodiles will bring footy to another of France's main centres. With Toulouse, Montpellier and Perpignan all within a few hours' drive of each other, and Bordeaux, Aix and the Catalan league not too much further in either direction, the future looks promising for an area that only 12 months ago had no clubs at all.

In some countries translation of the rules of footy (the interpretation of the Laws of Australian Football on the field is another matter!) have been done by academics and students in university departments.

A small amount of Australian Studies (mainly but not entirely literature) is taught by Prof. Xavier Pons at Toulouse Le Mirail (Toulouse III) by Sue Ryan at La Rochelle and Susan Barrett at Bordeaux.

The Australian interests of those departments might provide either noticeboards for putting up signs to attract players or could lead to useful things such as the translation of rules and other documents.

Sometimes there is a gap between different cultures (the theatrically oriented middle class have stayed away from the brilliant musical about the cricketer Shane Warne, which is now on in Melbourne) but perhaps there are possibilities.